Worth Suffering For

The night air was brisk to say the least, and Rarity would have much preferred to be inside and out of the harsh chill. It definitely wasn't something she delighted in. Harsher still, though, was the expression on Sweetie Belle's face, and the glare with which she had looked at Rarity after her failed attempt to reconcile. Rarity watched, shocked, as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle walked away, their forms receding from the campfire and fading into the darkness of the woods. She hesitated for a moment and sighed softly, glancing at Applejack. She took a few steps towards her, trying to keep her voice low enough that the fillies wouldn't overhear.

"Well, that apology went swimmingly. Applejack, why do you have to be so good and make me look so bad?"

Applejack chuckled and gestured to the unicorn.

"Oh Rarity, once again you're thinkin' about yourself. Bein' sisters is a give and take. You've been doin' a whole lotta takin', but you haven't been doin' a whole lotta givin'."

Rarity thought for a moment, brow furrowed in concentration, before smiling uneasily.

"Of course I give. I give lessons. Reasonable demands."

Applejack leaned forwards and prodded Rarity in the chest.

"But ya never give in. Bein' sisters is like... apple pie. You can have amazin' apples, and you can have a wonderfully crispy crust. But only together you can have a perfect apple pie."

The white mare looked down at the ground, processing the analogy and extending it, looking for an answer.

"...but apart, all we are is just a pile of mush and some crumbly dry mess..."

Rarity gasped as inspiration struck her.

"I know what I need to do! I just hope it isn't too late!"

She looked out at the woods. Sweetie Belle had been so angry, so upset, that Rarity didn't know if her plan would even work.

"Applejack, I need your help."

She turned to face the farmer.

"Never before have I needed the most dependable pony in Ponyville more than I do right now. I'll do whatever it takes, anything you ask, but I'm about to lose my sister forever if I don't make this right."

Applejack smiled and adjusted her hat.

"Alright then, what did you have in mind?"

Rarity looked around for a moment and grabbed one of the sticks from the fire pit with her magic, using the blacked tip to draw in the dirt.

"Tomorrow is the... uh... the thing. At the place. Oh, what was it called again? The "Sisterhooves Social"? It hardly matters. The point is that I need to go to it and prove to Sweetie Belle that I can be a good sister, that I can give back to her. I don't know how I'm going to do it, exactly, and it's not as though I'm going to be given a chance to prove it as things presently stand, but it's the best I can come up with. There's no way she'll listen to a word I say right now, and after tomorrow..."

Rarity set the stick down. Instead of plans and schemes she had absentmindedly recreated the drawing Sweetie Belle had made while her thoughts were wandering.

"She'll probably hate me forever."

Applejack put a hoof on her friends shoulder.

"You know, there might just be a way of goin' about this that'll actually work. At least, if you meant what you said about doin' anythin' it takes. I can pull a few strings and give you that chance."

Rarity eyed Applejack suspiciously for a moment and the earth pony's smile widened.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's the catch?"

Applejack began walking back towards the farm, looking over her shoulder at Rarity.

"Meet me in the barn, and leave your fussiness by the fireside. It's gonna get a mite messy by the end of the night and if you're just gonna complain about it then we're gonna get nowhere."

Rarity stood there for a moment, watching Applejack's silhouette disappear among the trees. Applejack was nothing if not fair, but Rarity wasn't sure what price she'd have to pay for this favor. It certainly wouldn't involve hard labor; they both knew that the unicorn had no place working the fields. And Applejack wasn't the sort to enjoy the refinements of life, preferring function over form.

Rarity looked at the fire for a moment and with a sweep of her horn she turned the logs over, covering them in soot and extinguishing the flames. As the last of the smoke dissipated Rarity picked up a clump of the ash with her hoof. It was was filled with tiny lumps of charcoal, and the rest was the consistency of the powders she used for her makeup.

"Messy indeed..."

She dropped the ash back into the fire pit and stomped her hoof hard against the ground to shake off any remaining soot before starting off through the woods. Whatever Applejack was preparing, and whatever schemes the farmer had in mind, they would all be worth it in the end. Messiness didn't matter. Stress and strain didn't matter. There was only the prize at the end, the love and respect of her sister. Rarity wasn't going to let that go without a fight.

---

The barn was dark and uninviting, but Rarity pushed open the door regardless. It creaked slightly and she slipped through the doorway, trying to keep as quiet as possible. She didn't know if stealth was required, but if it was she wasn't going to jeopardize the situation any time soon. She whispered softly into the darkness of the barn.

"Applejack? Where are you, I can't see a thing."

Instead of a reply Rarity got a face full of mud. A thick glob of the substance came flying out of the darkness and struck her just below the horn, coating her from mane to chin. Her eyes widened slowly as the faint stinging passed, placed with the realization of precisely what it was. She felt a scream rising in her chest and held her tongue, remembering both the need to be quiet and Applejack's warning. Instead she stood there shaking slightly in a mix of anger and revulsion.

Applejack lit a lantern hanging from the wall and smirked as she caught sight of Rarity. She moved closer to observe her handiwork and laughed softly, walking away from the unicorn and chuckling. Rarity scowled, watching as Applejack dragged a large bucket of mud out of the shadows and over to the lantern.

"Calm down, Rarity. It's-"

Rarity fumed, gritting her teeth, her voice slowly rising in volume, and her anger in intensity.

"I am the epitome of serenity, Applejack. Whatever gave you the idea that being covered in this ghastly substance would infuriate me in the slightest? Clearly I am absolutely, positively calm."

Applejack picked up some of the mud with her hoof and looked at it for a moment before lobbing it at Rarity. This time it landed on her flank, obscuring her cutie mark.

"I'm gonna do that every time you don't let me finish speakin'. Now where was I?"

Applejack put her hoof to her chin, deliberately taking her time and letting Rarity take the hint.

"I do believe I was sayin' why you aughta be calm."

She walked over to the white mare and ran her hoof over her face. The mud came off cleanly and Applejack showed Rarity the clump.

"This stuff is really easy to clean off. Give your mane a shake and it'll just fall right out of it."

Rarity stared at Applejack for a moment before whipping her mane back and forth a few times. Flecks of mud scattered across the floor of the barn and Rarity ran a hoof through her mane, inspecting it. It was completely clean, if a little unruly after the needless tussling. She glanced at Applejack as she smoothed it out, and the farmer was grinning from ear to ear.

"It's a special kinda mud, mixed from clay and a couple other things. It likes stickin' to itself a lot more than it likes stickin' to anythin' else, so clean up is a snap. It's probably easier to clean off than your eyeliner, Rarity"

Rarity looked around for a mirror of some sort and found a small one hanging next to a set of brushed on the wall. She walked over to it. Not a tangle remained, and every curl was in its place once more. She smiled in satisfaction before thinking for a moment and giving Applejack a confused stare.

"And this has something to do with me getting a chance to prove I can be a good sister? Please, enlighten me."

Applejack nodded and set her hat down before dumping half the bucket onto her own head. She smiled.

"Your turn."

Rarity stared at the bucket for a moment and sighed. She hesitated and grabbed hold of it with her magic, raising it above her head.

"I suppose I'll just have to play along while you get your entertainment from watching me suffer, won't I."

She emptied the bucket onto herself and closed her eyes, shuddering at the sensation and trying to remind herself that it could be easily remedied with a quick shake and a brush. When she opened her eyes again Applejack was standing beside her, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Rarity did the same and gasped. With the mud on their faces and in the manes there was hardly a difference. Rarity's mane sagged under the weight while Applejack's became slightly uneven as the mud settled. The only thing that really stood out between them was the horn. Applejack grabbed her hat and put it on Rarity's head.

"Alright, so that means part one is a success."

Rarity adjusted the hat. It was bad enough to be covered in mud, but Applejack's hat was hardly the height of fashion.

"Part one? There's more to this humiliation?"

Applejack began wiping herself off.

"Tomorrow there are gonna be all kinds of events goin' on. Every single one of 'em is gonna require a partner to enter, and for the most part it's booked solid, with a few exceptions. The biggest one of all is the race, and that's when you'll get your chance."

Rarity blinked. Things still didn't add up.

"And the mud is for... a disguise? Somepony is bound to say something if I'm just walking around covered in mud and wearing your hat all day."

Applejack chuckled a little.

"And you'd be right about that one, partner. Which is why you won't be. See, the race is composed of different sections one after the other, and one of 'em is a mud pit that you've gotta cross. It's right by the finish line, but I can get up early and turn everythin' around so it's at the start."

Rarity perked up and smiled, tapping her hoof against the ground.

"A switch! We can trade places in the mud pit!"

The farmer nodded and smiled.

"Now you're gettin' it. You'll hide in the mud before the race starts, and then I'll leap into the mud and you leap out with my hat on. Sweetie Belle won't know the difference until the race ends, and when it does she'll see her big sister covered in mud, exhausted and bent outta shape about her mane. And all for her sake. I think she'll be pleasantly surprised by that turn of events."

Rarity leaped forwards, hugging Applejack as tightly as she could.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Applejack gently patted Rarity on the back, struggling to breathe.

"Think nothin' of it... Rarity..."

Rarity gave Applejack a squeeze and let go, smiling and shaking herself off.

"It's absolutely perfect."

Applejack coughed a bit and caught her breath.

"Not exactly. There's still a little ways to go."

The unicorn sighed dramatically.

"Of course. Nothing is ever easy with you, is it, Applejack."

Applejack smirked slightly and took her hat back before grabbing the lantern and walking out the door. She set it down for a moment and looked over her shoulder.

"It's only ever not easy because you keep expectin' it to be a cakewalk and get all huffy when there's a problem or actual work. Now come on, time to get you ready for the race."

Rarity grabbed a brush with her magic and began running it through her mane as she followed Applejack out to the field, sighing softly.

"Let's just get this over with..."

---

Rarity stumbled as her hoof collided with the side of the crate and she fell face-first off the side, landing in a heap. She groaned as she raised herself up one leg at a time, standing and stretching. It felt like every inch of her body was covered in bruises and her muscles held a dull, throbbing ache that refused to go unnoticed. She looked over at Applejack, who was shaking her head slightly, and sighed.

"How long have we been doing this for?"

Applejack looked up at the night sky for a moment, tilting her head. She brought her hoof to her chin and smiled.

"I reckon it's been about two hours, give or take. If you sleep in tomorrow we can do another two no problem. At the rate you're pickin' this stuff up, though, I think it won't take that long. We'll wrap up in a bit, take a break and then you can give it a run through from start to finish."

The farmer walked over to the crates and shifted them around slightly, lining them back up. Rarity stretched slightly and winced.

"I was never meant for this sort of physical activity. A lady doesn't engage in this kind of thing, although I suppose exceptions can be made in times of crisis."

She took a few wobbly steps down the track and turned to face the crates. Applejack held her hoof up and brought it down in one swift motion to signal her. Rarity took off at a run, pushing through the pain and leaping. She forced herself to look down, attempting to keep herself upright and bracing herself as she landed. She swayed slightly on top of the stack of crates, catching her breath.

"Well now... I think that was acceptable, don't you, Applejack?"

Applejack chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Now you just need to get yourself down."

With a nod Rarity hopped down from one crate to the next. She wasn't sure if taking them all at once was a good idea or not, but she didn't intend to risk it. She dusted herself off and stretched again.

"So, what other physical feats will I have to accomplish? Pig wrestling? Sheep shearing?"

Applejack motioned to a small shack and smirked slightly. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"Egg carryin'"

Rarity's eyebrow inched higher.

"Egg carrying. I have to carry an egg."

The earth pony nodded.

"Yep. Balanced on the tip of your nose. It's why I saved it for last, somethin' easy for such a 'graceful and elegant lady' like yourself to do. You and Sweetie Belle only need to get one egg in the basket though, so the trick is to work as a team instead of tryin' to take one each. Come on."

Applejack wandered over to the shack and Rarity followed behind, treading carefully and trying not to whimper every time she bent her back legs. Inside the shack was a basket with a single egg inside. Applejack flipped the basket into the air and caught the egg on her nose, watching it carefully and moving around to keep it steady. Rarity watched for a few moments before moving in front of her and trying to mirror the earth pony's movements to help cradle the egg. Her nose bumped against Applejack's and the egg wobbled slightly before settling down. Rarity smiled.

"Seems simple enough. I'm sure that we'll have no trouble with this tomorrow if you can tell Sweetie Belle ahead of time."

Applejack chuckled, but Rarity could detect a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah, sure thing, Rarity. No trouble at all."

Another uneven and slightly forced laugh. Applejack flicked her nose upwards and spun around. The egg was sent flying, and as Applejack spun back around with the basket she caught it almost lazily. She set it down and walked out of the shack without a word. It was too dark to see properly, but Rarity was fairly certain Applejack was blushing slightly. She followed after her, half her brain trying to convince her it was a trick of the light and the other half wondering why she would be blushing in the first place.

"Well, I reckon we can take a break now. Or sleep, if you're really that tired."

Rarity shook her head.

"I'm fine. A tad sore in places I didn't know it was possible to be sore in, but fine nonetheless. I think a glass of water and a chance to lay down wouldn't be out of place though."

The earth pony nodded and smiled, walking in the direction of the barn.

"I'll be right back then. I've got some blankets we can use and we can watch the stars for a little bit."

"Clean ones, I hope."

Applejack glanced over her shoulder at Rarity, who blinked.

"What? It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask. I don't want to lay down on a straw-covered blanket that's been dragged through the dirt and dust. I might be a mess at the moment but that doesn't mean becoming more of one is acceptable."

Applejack shook her head and sighed, wandering off. Rarity watched until the farmer was little more than a pony-shaped speck in the distance before turning back to the course. She walked over to the table and put a few apples onto it, lining it up with the bucket. She jumped, spun around, and slammed onto the table, sending the apples flying in a high arc. She squinted a little, trying to see where they landed, and smiled as she saw and heard them land in the bucket. Applejack's lessons weren't applicable anywhere else in her life, but she taught them well enough.

She meandered around the track, stretching her tired muscles from time to time to keep them from stiffening up. Rarity wondered whether or not they'd win the event. That would be nice, she supposed. The icing on the celebratory cake of sisterhood. She took a run at the crate stack and jumped, clambering onto the top crate with a little less grace than she had hoped. Cramps had begun to settle into her hips and had given her a painful reminder of their presence just as she was making the leap. As she stood up and surveyed the field she grimaced at the sensation. Victory was probably unlikely if the pain didn't fade by morning.

"What I wouldn't give for a spa visit right about now... I'm going to need one before all of this is over."

She looked over at the barn and watched it for a moment. The lights were out and there was a dark figure with a hat and a large basket walking out the door. Rarity carefully climbed back down to the ground and smiled softly. She honestly no longer cared if the blankets weren't exactly up to her standards so long as she could sprawl out on one and close her eyes for a little while. She began walking slowly towards Applejack, trying to keep her pace slow enough to not aggravate her legs further.

Applejack smiled softly as Rarity came into view and she set the basket down, pulling the blanket off the top and exposing its contents. As she spread the blanket out on the ground and set rocks on the corners to weight them down, Rarity approached and immediately looked in the basket. Two large bottles of hard apple cider, a loaf of bread and some slices of fresh apple and aged cheeses were arranged with what the unicorn presumed to be Applejack's definition of care and delicacy.

"I got us a couple of snacks while I was getting' everythin' else. I don't have much in the way of fancy fare, but I heard that bread, cheese and fruit are some kinda... appetizer or somethin', so I got some of that."

Rarity couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face.

"Thank you, Applejack. I appreciate the gesture."

She picked up one of the bottles and examined it. Hard apple cider was not a sophisticated drink, and certainly not something Rarity had ever bothered to try before. She popped the top off and took a sip. It was cool and tasted strongly of apples and fire, but it was incredibly smooth. She took another drink and felt the alcohol smack her upside the head, replacing some of her tension with a feeling of lightness. Heavenly. Applejack smirked and grabbed the other bottle.

"So, I take it you're a fan of Big Mac's apple cider then?"

Rarity nodded.

"I prefer more refined beverages, generally, but this cider is quite apposite."

Applejack blinked and tilted her head.

"Beg your pardon?"

Rarity took another sip and lay down on the blanket.

"It suits me perfectly well for the moment."

She focused her magic, levitating slices of apple from the basket and delicately eating them one at a time. Applejack took a long draw from her bottle and leaned back, looking up at the sky.

"I think I'm gonna have to agree with you on that one, Rarity. This suits me just fine, too."

Their eyes met for a moment and they both laughed. Rarity rolled onto her side, but as she tried to flip onto her back she flinched, gasping lightly at the pain that she had almost forgotten was there. Applejack stood up.

"Are you OK?"

Rarity nodded as she moved back onto her front.

"It's just a bit of a muscle cramp. I'm not used to all this running-jumping-climbing trees nonsense."

Applejack nodded and moved closer.

"Where does it hurt?"

Rarity gestured to her lower body.

"Everything from... about here down, actually."

She felt Applejack's hooves on her back as the earth pony attempted to massage her. Rarity was about to protest when she felt and heard a pop from her spine, all the tension in her back vanishing. She sighed contently, slumping against the blanket.

"I don't know what you just did, but it felt fantastic."

Applejack chuckled and moved her hooves lower, feeling for the places where the tension was greatest.

"When you live with Granny Smith you learn pretty quickly how to tend to a tired, worn out body like hers. I might not be able to get you feelin' good as new, but I can loosen a tight muscle in a jiffy."

Rarity closed her eyes and relaxed, biting her lip every time Applejack's hoof made contact with a particularly sore spot. Applejack's hooves came to a halt just above her flank and Rarity opened her eyes. She looked over her shoulder at Applejack, whose face was now colored the same red as her cutie mark.

"Why did you stop? My legs are still killing me."

Applejack jumped backwards, eyes wide.

"Huh? Oh, I... uh, I didn't want to put my hooves somewhere unwanted and make you feel awkward. I don't know how you feel about m- I mean, how you feel about havin' another mare puttin' their hooves all over you."

Rarity sat up slightly.

"Applejack, it's a friendly massage, and you are one of my best friends. I trust you not to do anything unbecoming."

Applejack looked away and Rarity raised an eyebrow. A stray thought worked its way into her brain through the pain and the pleasant level of light intoxication. She gasped.

"Except it's not a friendly massage for you at all, is it?"

Applejack shook her head and lowered her gaze. Rarity stood up and felt her legs try to buckle beneath her.

"You... You're attracted to me."

Applejack nodded, almost ashamed. Rarity didn't know if she wanted to run away and not have to sort out how she felt about the situation or if she wanted to stay and figure things out. Her legs made the choice for her as they gave way and dropped her back onto the blanket.

"I didn't want to say anythin' because I didn't want you to be... weirded out or anythin'. I barely see you most days and it wouldn't be that hard to avoid me altogether if you decided to. I just didn't want to lose one of my best friends on account of my heart beatin' fast around her."

Rarity nodded slightly. It wasn't revulsion that had settled into her chest but the tightness of painful memories and compassion.

"I understand, darling... Ponies who live in high society can spend their entire lives longing for a pony they think they can never have, scared of the scandals and dirty looks if they were to ever admit their feelings out loud."

She looked down at the blanket. The color was off, but the pattern was almost exactly like the one that Shore Breeze had used for her scarf when they were fillies, a blue and red checkered fabric that was as striking as her jade eyes. Everything about her was mismatched, as jarring as the shift from sea to sand. And everything about her had been perfect. Rarity felt her eyes watering slightly as she recalled Shore's face when she had read the note, the confusion that was followed swiftly by disgust. She looked up at Applejack and wiped her eyes.

"It's not a very fun feeling, is it?"

Applejack didn't respond, either lost in thought or so overcome with shame that she had completely shut down. Rarity struggled to stand and walked over to her, pulling the mare's hat off and tossing it aside before tilting the Applejack's face towards her own.

"Let's make a deal."

Applejack blinked. Her face looked completely drained, and a sort of gaunt expression had replaced her usual smile. Rarity did her best to stay upbeat.

"Tomorrow we have the big race, and I owe you for it. I owe you for a lot of things, actually. So, as thanks, I'd like you to come to my boutique sometime and I'll treat you to lunch, or dinner. And we can talk, and spend time together, as friends. Friends first, at least."

Applejack's face lit up and her eyes widened.

"I don't have feelings for you, Applejack, but... I'm willing to give you a chance."

Applejack smiled softly.

"I guess that'll have to do then."

Rarity hugged her and Applejack returned the embrace. As they pulled away from each other Rarity lay back down on the blanket and smiled.

"Shall we resume, Applejack."

Applejack's face flushed again and she put her hat back on, smiling and tilting the brim down slightly.

"With pleasure, Rarity."